Trout goes from near-MVP to MUP (Most Underpaid Player)

Feb. 28, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

Second-year player Mike Trout says he's not concerned about his salary this season. &#8220;Whatever it is, it is," he said. "I have to go out and put up some numbers and see what happens.&#8221;KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SALARIES OF TOP MVP VOTE-GETTERS

Here are the top five AL and NL MVP vote-getters from 2012 and what they will earn in 2013:

AL

1. Miguel Cabrera

Tigers

$21 million

2. Mike Trout

Angels

To be determined

3. Adrian Beltre

Rangers

$16 million

4. Robinson Cano

Yankees

$15 million

5. Josh Hamilton

Angels

$17.4 million

NL

1. Buster Posey

Giants

$8 million

2. Ryan Braun

Brewers

$8.5 million

3. Andrew McCutchen

Pirates

$4.7 million

4. Yadier Molina

Cardinals

$14.2 million

5. Chase Headley

Padres

$8.6 million

AT A GLANCE

THE GAME: The Angels tied for the second day in a row, 8-8 against the Giants in Tempe, by scoring six runs in the final two innings. They remain winless at 0-4-2.

PITCHING REPORT: LHP Nick Maronde gave up two runs, one earned, in 1 1/3 innings. ... LHP Brandon Sisk, acquired in the Ervin Santana trade, pitched a perfect inning in his first Angels outing. ... Angels pitchers have allowed at least seven runs in five consecutive games.

HITTING REPORT: OF Mike Trout picked up his first RBI of the spring with a bases-loaded walk. He also singled. He's 2 for 4 with two walks. ... 3B Kaleb Cowart went 2 for 4 and hit a fly out to the warning track. He is 4 for 8.

DEFENSE REPORT: C Hank Conger, who has drawn raves from Mike Scioscia for his defensive improvement, threw a ball into right field on a stolen-base attempt at third. ... Cowart made a strong throw to get an out at first after fielding a high chopper.

TEMPE, Ariz. – Mike Trout is about to gain another distinction: Most underpaid player in the majors.

It's not something a player aspires to, but it's the natural result for any player who achieves so much so young in a system that is designed to reward service time.

As soon as Saturday, the Angels are expected to "renew" Trout's contract – assign him a salary he doesn't agree to – for a figure much closer to the major league minimum than a player with Trout's accomplishments ought to be.

"I'm not worried about it," Trout said. "Whatever it is, it is. I have to go out and put up some numbers and see what happens."

Of course, Trout has already put up historic numbers on his way to a unanimous Rookie of the Year award and a runner-up finish in the MVP race in his age 20 season.

How the Angels choose to reward that season financially is the question they are wrestling with this week. They are trying to find a balance between what makes the best business sense and what's "fair," in a system in which the latter is not officially a part of the equation.

Neither Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto nor Trout's agent, Craig Landis, would comment on ongoing negotiations, but a look at history and baseball's salary rules shows why this situation is potentially sticky.

The collective bargaining agreement gives no leverage to players before they are eligible for arbitration, in most cases after they have three years of service time. Clubs are free to sign those players to any salary at or above the minimum, which this year rose to $490,000 from $480,000.

Clubs and the agents for those players go through the dance of negotiating a salary, but it really amounts to the team assigning whatever salary it feels is appropriate. Many teams, including the Angels, have objective formulas they use to calculate the numbers, but every team is free to do it however it pleases. Once the player eventually agrees to the salary, he signs a contract.

But if the player doesn't agree, the team simply renews his contract, without his signature. Contracts can be renewed starting Saturday, and the Angels are expected to renew Trout then or soon after.

The reason Trout and the Angels aren't likely to agree is there is a fairly wide gap between what's "fair," even considering precedent of other pre-arbitration players, and what the Angels have to pay.

There isn't much precedent for a player winning the Rookie of the Year and finishing in the top 5 in the MVP race. Ichiro Suzuki won both awards, but he already had a multiyear deal so there was no negotiating a Year 2 salary.

Albert Pujols was the Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in the MVP voting. The following year the St. Louis Cardinals signed him for $600,000, which was double the minimum and three times what he made the year before.

Trout's camp could point to a few other examples of players getting multiples of the minimum after winning the Rookie of the Year. In 1998, Derek Jeter was renewed for $550,000, five times the $109,000 minimum. In 1999, Kerry Wood signed for $690,000, six times the minimum.

Those are exceptions, though, all from when the minimum salary was much lower than it is today. Over the previous five years, the 10 players who won the Rookie of the Year were paid an average of 21.7 percent over the minimum.

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